Table 4.
Predictors of having sought healthcare for dysphagia (N=4998)
| Variable | Sought healthcare for dysphagiaa | OR (95% CI)b |
|---|---|---|
| n=2553 | ||
| Age, years | 47.7 ± 15.4 | 1.0052 (1.0004–1.0101) |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 1233 (52.4) | ref |
| Female | 1320 (49.9) | 0.74 (0.65–0.85) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Non-Hispanic white | 1983 (50.5) | ref |
| Non-Hispanic black | 166 (58.7) | 1.24 (0.92–1.66) |
| Latino | 237 (54.7) | 1.03 (0.81–1.33) |
| Asian | 59 (43.1) | 0.89 (0.60–1.33) |
| Other | 108 (48.9) | 0.80 (0.59–1.09) |
| Marital status | ||
| Married or in a long-term relationship | 1623 (53.3) | ref |
| Not married | 930 (47.6) | 0.94 (0.82–1.08) |
| Education level | ||
| High school graduate or less | 610 (49.4) | ref |
| Some college | 734 (48.3) | 1.00 (0.84–1.18) |
| College graduate | 852 (53.0) | 1.19 (0.99–1.42) |
| Graduate degree | 357 (56.3) | 1.20 (0.95–1.53) |
| Employment status | ||
| Unemployed | 1263 (53.8) | ref |
| Employed or full-time student | 1290 (48.6) | 0.91 (0.78–1.06) |
| Total household income | ||
| $0–50,000 | 1173 (48.9) | ref |
| $50,001–100,000 | 889 (53.3) | 1.17 (1.00–1.37) |
| $100,001–200,000 | 354 (53.7) | 1.07 (0.85–1.33) |
| ≥$200,001 | 64 (56.1) | 1.08 (0.69–1.69) |
| Prefer not to say | 73 (46.2) | 1.22 (0.85–1.76) |
| Health insurance status | ||
| Uninsured | 104 (26.1) | ref |
| Insured | 2449 (53.2) | 1.90 (1.45–2.48) |
| Has a usual source of care | ||
| Yes | 2339 (57.2) | ref |
| No | 190 (23.5) | 0.30 (0.25–0.37) |
| Unknown | 24 (24.5) | 0.26 (0.16–0.43) |
| US region | ||
| Northeast | 504 (53.4) | ref |
| South | 893 (50.9) | 0.92 (0.76–1.10) |
| Midwest | 595 (51.1) | 0.97 (0.80–1.18) |
| West | 561 (49.5) | 0.88 (0.72–1.07) |
| Has a medical comorbidity | ||
| No | 1003 (39.5) | ref |
| Yes | 1550 (63.1) | 1.74 (1.52–2.00) |
| Has a neurologic comorbidity | ||
| No | 2049 (47.7) | ref |
| Yes | 504 (72.2) | 1.73 (1.41–2.12) |
| Has an allergic comorbidity | ||
| No | 836 (44.6) | ref |
| Yes | 1717 (55.0) | 1.16 (1.01–1.32) |
| Has a cancer diagnosis | ||
| No | 2265 (49.1) | ref |
| Yes | 288 (74.0) | 1.31 (1.00–1.73) |
| Believes dysphagia is a serious health problem | ||
| 1 (not at all) | 203 (26.4) | ref |
| 2 | 479 (40.3) | 1.53 (1.24–1.90) |
| 3 | 785 (52.9) | 2.14 (1.73–2.65) |
| 4 | 652 (67.5) | 3.26 (2.56–4.16) |
| 5 (very much) | 434 (73.4) | 4.30 (3.26–5.67) |
| Dysphagia PROMIS score, percentile, 0–100c | 52.7 ± 30.4 | 1.012 (1.010–1.015) |
| Physical global health PROMIS score, t-scored | 42.2 ± 8.3 | 0.991 (0.980–1.001) |
| Mental global health PROMIS score, t-scored | 45.7 ± 9.4 | 1.017 (1.008–1.026) |
a
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, or n (% of row).
b
The logistic regression model adjusted for all covariates in the table.
c
Higher score corresponds to more severe symptoms.
d
Higher score corresponds to better health.
CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; PROMIS, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System; ref, reference.